News and Commentary

As the leading civil rights organization in the Lone Star State, we at the ACLU of Texas believe it is our duty to keep the public informed about the state of their civil liberties. The work we do at the legislature, in the courts, and in our communities is important, but there is no better defender of civil rights than a public that is informed and engaged.

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Mar 16, 2015

Can You Think of a Better Way to Spend $7.2 Billion Than Unnecessarily Locking Up Nonviolent Offenders and Undocumented Immigrants?

The Department of Justice spends $7.2 billion a year to incarcerate over 209,000 people in the federal Bureau of Prisons at a cost of over $30,000 per year per person.

This is unsustainable, both...

By By Jesselyn McCurdy, ACLU Washington Legislative Office

The Department of Justice spends $7.2 billion a year to incarcerate over 209,000 people in the federal Bureau of Prisons at a cost of over $30,000 per year per person.

This is unsustainable, both...

By By Jesselyn McCurdy, ACLU Washington Legislative Office

Mar 15, 2015

'Tech Can Be a Champion of Privacy,' Edward Snowden Tells Tech Leaders at SXSW

Edward Snowden had a message for some two dozen technology leaders at the SXSW Interactive festival today: “Tech can be a champion of privacy.”

In an hour-long meeting...

By By Noa Yachot, Communications Strategist, ACLU

Edward Snowden had a message for some two dozen technology leaders at the SXSW Interactive festival today: “Tech can be a champion of privacy.”

In an hour-long meeting...

By By Noa Yachot, Communications Strategist, ACLU

Mar 13, 2015

CISA Isn't About Cybersecurity, It's About Surveillance

They say the first step is admitting you have a problem. But sometimes that's the easy part.

When it comes to cybersecurity, it seems everyone in Washington admits we have a problem. It's in the...

By By Rachel Nusbaum, Media Strategist, ACLU Washington Legislative Office

They say the first step is admitting you have a problem. But sometimes that's the easy part.

When it comes to cybersecurity, it seems everyone in Washington admits we have a problem. It's in the...

By By Rachel Nusbaum, Media Strategist, ACLU Washington Legislative Office

Mar 12, 2015

Discovering Hope in Selma

Even with a ticket, I was unable to get close enough to hear President Obama or see any of the other notable people speaking at the Pettus Bridge in Selma last Saturday. And I was not among those fortunate...

By By Dennis Parker, Director, ACLU Racial Justice Program

Mar 12, 2015

Pregnant Women and Their Families Should Not Be Treated as Second-Class Citizens

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By Rebecca Marques, Reproductive Justice Policy and Advocacy Strategist, ACLU of Texas

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By Rebecca Marques, Reproductive Justice Policy and Advocacy Strategist, ACLU of Texas

Mar 11, 2015

Fairness for Workers Laboring in the Shadows

Leopolda Zumaya was working as an apple picker in Pennsylvania when he fell from a tree, breaking his leg and leaving him with permanent nerve damage and a chronic pain disorder. A treating physician said...

By By Sarah Mehta, Researcher, ACLU Human Rights Program